Open AccessContribution of laboratories in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region to the selection of candidate seasonal influenza vaccine, 2010-2015
Author(s) -
Humayun Asghar,
Helena Browne,
John W. McCauley,
Mamunur Rahman Malik,
Wasiq Khan
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
eastern mediterranean health journal/eastern mediterranean health journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.442
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1687-1634
pISSN - 1020-3397
DOI - 10.26719/2016.22.7.445
Subject(s) - seasonal influenza , pandemic , geography , influenza pandemic , preparedness , influenza vaccine , covid-19 , vaccination , medicine , environmental health , demography , virology , political science , infectious disease (medical specialty) , disease , pathology , law , sociology
The World Health Organization (WHO) formulates recommendations for viruses to be included in vaccines for the influenza seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres on the basis of analyses by its collaborating centres (CCs). This report describes the contribution of influenza laboratories and national influenza centres in countries in the WHO Region for the Eastern Mediterranean to the selection process of seasonal and pre-pandemic influenza virus subtypes. Data submitted by 22 countries to FluNet and FluID between September 2010 and June 2015 were analysed. National Influenza Centres (NICs) in 12 countries (55%) reported data, 5 (23%) to both FluNet and FluID and 7 (32%) only to FluNet. The WHO CC in London characterized 78% of the samples, and the CC in Atlanta, characterized 21%. The contribution of influenza laboratories and NICs from this Region to global influenza surveillance is appreciable. However, enhancing the contribution through initiatives such as the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework is still needed.